Max dodged the sofa pillow that ffew at her, and everyone sought their beds.I Josephine Pearl Archer"s twenty^seveijith birthday would have been on April 10,1946. Lorri took the day off from school, and Max stayed home as well. Dean did not go to the base, and Ruth had cleared her calendar.
Everyone said that first year was the hardest, but Lorri knew that this day would always be hard. Josie had loved her birthday. She had loved presents and surprises and was always pleased with the smallest gesture.
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It was for this reason that Lorri picked flowers from the yard before going to the cemetery. She understood that Josie didn"t need them, but they made her own heart feel better, and today she wanted that.
The four of them did not linger at the grave site. The day was nice, very sunny, but it was too sad, and Ruth said she was tired of crying. Dean suggested a drive to the coast. Everyone liked this idea, and they made a day of it.
Ruth was thankful for the distraction, but when the family arrived home, she found that Ken had written. She laid her things aside, sat at the kitchen table, and opened his letter.
Dear Dean, Ruth, Lorri, and Max, How are you? You are in my thoughts this day since I know Josie must be on your minds. I am still not reconciled to never seeing her again, never making her my wife. I had never looked forward to anything more. I think that in time my heart will heal, but I don"t know if I will ever love again. What I felt for Josie was not common. I do not expect anyone to ever compare.
I"m settled at Washington, having signed for another four years, I was not going to do this but now ftndtnyself rescued by the routine and familiarity. We have a country to rebuild, and I take that seriously. When I am in California, I will stop to see you. Until then, I hold you fondly in my heart.
Ken Ruth folded the letter and held it. For a moment she let herself think about what it would have looked like to have Josie alive. She would likely have been married to Ken by now, living in a home 255.
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of their own. It might not have been in southern California, but it certainly would have been closer than Australia.
But that was as far as Ruth could take it. Josie wasn"t there. She and Ken would not marry, and Ken was, for the most part, out of their lives. Much as Ruth wanted to concoct another image, she couldn"t do it.
Dean came into the room and saw Ruth at the table. He sat with her, and she handed him the letter, which he read in silence. Dean had not shed a tear all day, but Ruth saw him reach for his handkerchief.
"Dean," Ruth said at last, "can we cement those plans for the fall? Can we put it on the calendar and go to Minnesota?"
"We can do that, Ruth.";: "I want to see my father before it"s toJ late."
"We"ll do that, honey. You pick the days, and we"ll go."
They looked at each other for a moment.
"I never pictured her gone," Ruth admitted. "I had to bury my mother, and I thought the girls would all bury me."
Dean didn"t have any words to offer. He wanted to make everything right for her, but he couldn"t. They both remembered this day so many years ago. They both recalled the tiny girl born to parents who couldn"t wait to hold her.
"I"d better work on dinner." Ruth began to rise, at the moment looking older than her age.
"I think we can just pick through the icebox and eat leftovers," Dean suggested; they had already eaten lunch out. "Well just tell the girls they"ll have to fend for themselves."
Ruth agreed, and it ended up being the perfect plan. Max was not hungry at all, and Lorri wanted very little. The four of them ended up gathering around the radio to listen to evening news 256.
and then a comedy show that made them laugh for a while. No one argued when Dean said they should make it an early night.
"Janice is expecting again," Cora told Ruth at Bible study. "They called just last night."
"Oh, Cora, that"s wonderful. How is she feeling?"
"Good-better than last time."
"How are you doing?"
"I"ve cried a lot, but they"ve been good tears. I don"t know why Janice lost the first baby, but I let it get my attention; Ruth. I"ve had an unthankful, complaining spirit about a lot of things. It was good for me to be reminded of my heart"s condition."
Ruth hugged her friend. "You"re so good for me, Cora."
"That"s what I think of you."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you"ve never once complained, Ruth. All these months, and you"ve accepted what G.o.d has for you. There isn"t another woman in this church I love or admire more."
Ruth smiled at her. So often she felt weak and unable to go on. Did she tell Cora how frail she could be?
"What are you thinking?" Cora asked.
"Why is it that when someone compliments us, all we can do is remember our mistakes?"
"I don"t know. Were you thinking of mistakes?"
Ruth nodded.
"Well, don"t do that. Tell me how Lorri is doing withthe dream-boat,as Arlene puts it."
"Is that what she calls him?"
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"Yes. She"s got names picked out for their children and knows what color their house should be."
Ruth loved this. "Has Arlene considered writing romances? She might be very good."
It was time for Bible study to begin. The women needed to compose themselves, and it was no easy task. Each time they thought of Arlene, they wanted to laugh all over again.
"I thought of another question," Lorrisaid to Rigg as he worked over the grill. Dean was running late, and Ruth had put him to work.
"Okay, shoot."
"Were you angry at me when I met those other sailors on the beach?"
"Angry at you? Not at all, but I could have strung each one of them up." Rigg flipped a burger and flipped it back. "Did you think I was angry at you?"
"I didn"t know what to think. It was all so strange and unsettling."
"Strange and unsettling is too kind. It was foolhardy and ridiculous. Had I been on the scene, it would have looked quite different."
"Why is that?"
"My rank," he said simply, and Lorri only nodded. She watched him work for a time.
"Lieutenant?" she started.
"Lieutenant," he repeated. "Lieutenant." He turned his head to really see her. "I do have a name you know."
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"Do you now?" LorrPasked, her voice light. She wanted to tease him.
"Yes, ma"am. My family calls me Donovan, and everyone else calls me Rigg." He looked her in the eye. "Do you suppose you could try one of those?"
"I"ll think about it, sailor," she said, not able to hide her smile.
Rigg"s eyes narrowed as he watched her, thinking she had no idea how tempting she was to kiss.
Lord"s mind didn"t go to kissing, but she was more aware of his interest than he realized. She picked up the meat platter and went inside to wash it off, fully aware that he watched her every move. Not until she was shutting the screen door did she let her eyes meet his, a full blown smile coming into view.
Rigg stared down at the grill, not seeing hamburgers at all. He wanted to take this girl home and introduce her to his family. He wanted to see her or talk to her every day. He knew her family liked him, but he was still trying to read her.
"Are they burning?" Max asked, having just come from inside.
"I don"t think so," Rigg said to cover, realizing he hadn"t paid attention at all.
"Flip that one," Max pointed and Rigg obeyed. "Ooh, just right."
"It sounds to me like, you want to take over," Rigg challenged.
"Not a chance." "Why is that?"
"If they burn, you"re in trouble, not me."
"Thanks," he said sarcastically and got a smile much like Lorri"s.
"So tell me the name of your boyfriend," Rigg said, watching Max"s face.
"I swore off boys months ago."
"Is that right?"
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"Yes, it"s much easier."
Rigg looked at her beautiful face, pulled-back hair, rolled-up jeans, and oversized shirt and said, "Something tells me the boys don"t find it so easy."
"Now you sound like Johnny."
"Is he someone special?"
"He wants to be, but it"s all wrong."
"What"s all wrong?"
"His family went to our church a long time ago, so I think hemightbea believer, but he doesn"t take Christianity seriously, and there have been too many girls already."
"You need to meet my brother, Mitch."
"Why is that?"
"He does take his Christianity seriously, and he"s a gentleman."
"Let me guess: He lives in Santa Rosa?"
Her tone made Rigg laugh, and Dean chose that moment to join them.
"How"s it coming?"* he asked, giving Max a quick kiss and offering his hand to Rigg.
"I think I want you to be the judge, sir," Rigg said, gladly surrendering the spatula, afraid he would ruin all the meat.
"It looks good. Tell your mother, Max. We"re almost there."
Shortages on wheat meant there were no buns, but they feasted on plain hamburgers and salads, with ice cream for dessert. They ate at the dining room table, and there was no shortage of laughter.
"I was hoping that Miss Archer would not find out why we were namedEvery Storm,"Rigg said at one point.
"Why were you?" Max asked.
"Because every storm that hit the Pacific landed on our boat."
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Smiles met this announcement, so the lieutenant went on.
"It was the night before we made port. A storm came in that tried to blow us out of the ocean. Up until that time, Miss Archer had done remarkably well, showing no signs of seasickness, but not this night.
"I went to the cabin to check on her and she was ready to sell her soul. She promised not to go into the water or disappear again and even to give my bunk back to me if I would just put her off that rocking boat."
Lorri groaned and everyone laughed.
"Why did you go into the water?" Max asked.
"Let"s just say I had an urge to swim."
"You didn"t care for that, Lieutenant?" Ruth asked.